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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. chest — of your body
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. firm — a company
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chest — a box
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. firm — steady
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. firm — decided
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com